Picture Perfect Posing: Practicing the Art of Posing for - Pearsoncmg

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1 PICTURE PERFECT POSING Practicing the Art of Posing for Photographers and Models ROBERTO VALENZUELA AUTHOR OF THE BESTSELLING BOOK PICTURE PERFECT PRACTICE

2 PICTURE PERFECT POSING Practicing the Art of Posing for Photographers and Models ROBERTO VALENZUELA

3 Picture Perfect Posing: Practicing the Art of Posing for Photographers and Models Roberto Valenzuela New Riders Find us on the Web at www.newriders.com To report errors, please send a note to [email protected] New Riders is an imprint of Peachpit, a division of Pearson Education Copyright 2014 by Roberto Valenzuela All photography Roberto Valenzuela except where noted Editors: Christina Leung and Ted Waitt Senior Production Editor: Lisa Brazieal Cover and Interior Design: Mimi Heft Developmental Editor: Nolan Hester Copyeditor: Liz Welch Compositor: WolfsonDesign Indexer: James Minkin About the Cover Photo Model: Kristen Dalton (Miss USA 2009) Photo Shoot Location: Mogul Los Angeles Make Up, Hair, and Nails: Fiore Beauty Dress: Alexander McQueen Stylist: Laura Hine Camera: Hasselblad H5D Photo Editor: Rocco Ancora Photographer: Roberto Valenzuela Notice of Rights All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. For information on getting permission reprints and excerpts, contact [email protected] Notice of Liability The information in this book is distributed on an As Is basis without warranty. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of the book, neither the author nor Peachpit shall have any liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the instructions contained in this book or by the computer software and hardware products described in it. Trademarks Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish their products are claimed as trademarks. Where those designations appear in this book, and Peachpit was aware of a trademark claim, the designations appear as requested by the owner of the trademark. All other product names and services identi- fied throughout this book are used in editorial fashion only and for the benefit of such companies with no intention of infringement of the trademark. No such use, or the use of any trade name, is intended to convey endorsement or other affiliation with this book. ISBN-13 978-0-321-96646-9 ISBN-10 978-0-321-96646-5 987654321 Printed and bound in the United States of America

4 I want to dedicate this book to my mom. To me you are the most amazing and inspiring woman in my life. I thank God every day for giving me a mother like you. To my wife Kimmy life partner and my best friend. I am who I am thanks to your unconditional love. You make me want to be a better person. I know I am not easy, but you love me and accept me just the way I am. Regardless of where we are in the world, it always feels like home when we are together. I love you! To our dog Chochos. You have been around my life before I was even a photographer. You have blessed our family with your company and love when we needed it the most. You have enriched our lives, Chochos. We love you and will always carry you in our hearts.

5 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This book was a colossal amount of work. But I couldnt have done it alone. The team at Peachpit is second to none! I thank you for making my book possible and for making it look beautiful. Honestly, I could not ask for a better acquisitions editor than Ted Waitt. It is Ted who initially believed in me and gave me a chance to write my first book, Picture Perfect Practice. For this, I will always be grateful to him. If you dont know Ted, you should. He is a good man. Many thanks also go to Peachpits Mimi Heft, Lisa Brazieal, and Nolan Hester for their great work on the book. I also want to thank my family for their support throughout this project. A special shout-out goes to my mother-in-law Christina. She was the first editor for this book, as well as for my first book. The amount of work it takes to fix all my grammar mishaps is monumental. Trust me, the reason this book reads so beautifully is because of her skill, the countless hours she spent fixing my errors and, most importantly, her love for the English language. Christina, I love you very much and this book would not be the same without you. I also want to thank my whole family. My amazing wife Kim, for loving me, caring for me, and supporting me every day through the good and bad throughout our nearly 10 years of marriage. To my beautiful Mutti, for being the greatest gift God blessed me with. To my brother Tono, my sisters Blanca and Susy, my brother-in-law Kent, my father-in-law Peter, my sisters-in-law Amy and Sarah, my cutie-pie niece Alexandra, my new brother-in-law Neal, my awesome nephews Ethan and Caleb, and my super flexible and talented niece Elliana. A special thanks to my cousin Wendy for always believing in me. To my amazing best friends Jerry and Melissa Ghionis, for always pushing me to go further and think harder. I thank you for helping me reach my potential and for being unconditional friends to Kim and me. The memories of those crazy nights we spend talking, laughing, and singing over red wine will live in my heart forever. I love you both very much! I also want to send a huge thanks to Arlene Evans, who believed in me from the very start and launched my career when I was completely unknown. Thank you, Arlene, for your friendship and the trust you endowed me with in this industry. To my adopted father David Edmonson, thank you for being a father figure to me. I have so much love and respect for you and your whole family. I could not have asked for a more meaningful person to write the foreword to this book. I consider my relationship with you a blessing and a gift from God. A special thanks to my friends Laura Hine and Robiat Balogun, for styling, organizing, and making beautiful the models for this book with amazing hair and make-up. You ladies were a big part of this book project and I am forever grateful for you volunteering your time and skills to make this a better-looking book. I want to send a special thanks to Rocco Ancora for applying his seriously world-class editing skills to the photo on the cover of this book. Rocco, I am honored to have a piece of your enormous talent in the most visible part of the book. Thank you, my friend.

6 I also want to thank industry organizations and my friends who help run them, such as Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI), the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), Photo Plus, Junebug Weddings, creativeLIVE, and Hasselblad for con- tinuing to provide photographers worldwide with an opportunity to learn and push the artistic envelope with the art of photography. Lastly, I want to send a sincere thank-you to all my readers worldwide. Thank you so much for your support. I hope your photography careers forever prosper! Remember that learning never ends and skill is nothing but the result of deliberate practice. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Roberto Valenzuela is a photographer based in Beverly Hills, CA. He developed his unique teaching style by following the same practice regimen he developed as a professional concert classical guitarist and educator. Roberto believes that it is not talent but deliberate practice that is at the core of skill and achievement. He has traveled to every corner of the world, motivating photographers to practice and break down the various elements of photography in order to master them through goal setting, self-training, and constant dedication. Roberto serves as a judge for photographic print competi- tions in Europe, Mexico, South America, and the most prestigious international photography competitions held in the United States through Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) in Las Vegas, NV. Roberto teaches private workshops, seminars, and platform classes at the largest photogra- phy conventions in the world. He has been an international first-place winner three times and has been nominated by his peers as one of the ten most influential photographers and educators in the world. His first book, Picture Perfect Practice, became a bestselling pho- tography training book, and it is sold worldwide. Aside from the world of photography, Roberto is a high-performance remote-control helicopter pilot, a (not so good anymore) classical guitarist, and a table tennis fanatic. He is also a major foodie and is still searching for the most amazing red wine and the most pungent cheeses. His search for the perfect steak is over; he found it in the Japanese Wagyu.

7 CONTENTS FOREWORD xiii READ THIS FIRST: THE PICTURE PERFECT POSING SYSTEM (P3S) xv Why Are Some Photos Used Repetitively? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii Why the Amateur Photos? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii A Note to Models, Brides, and Anyone Else Interested in Posing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xviii For Brides xviii For Models xviii INTRODUCTION xix What This 15-Point Picture Perfect Posing System (P3S) Is and Is Not . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xx What It Is xx What It Is Not xxi PART 1 THE PICTURE PERFECT POSING SYSTEM (P3S) 1 1: UNDERSTANDING AND POSING THE SPINE 3 Parts of the Spine You Must Know, and How They Affect Posing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Cervical Spine 4 The Thoracic Spine 4 The Lumbar Spine 7 Pose Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Developing an Eye for Details 12 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 2: WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION AND ITS EFFECT ON POSING 17 Shifting the Body Weight and Crossing the Feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Shifting the Body Weight and Not Crossing the Feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Weight Distribution Sitting Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 vi P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

8 3: JOINTS AND 90-DEGREE ANGLES 29 Bending Joints to Avoid Stiffness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 90-Degree Angles on Arms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Arms at 90-Degree Angles with Couples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Using 90-Degree Angles to Sculpt Either a Strong or a Finessed Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 90-Degree Angles on the Wrists and Fingers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 4: THREE-POINT CHECK COMBINATIONS 43 3-Point Combination Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Working with the 3-Point Charts 45 Collarbone, Chin, and Eye Combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Applying the 3-Point Combinations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 5: CREATING GAPS WITH THE LOWER BACK AND ELBOWS 55 The Gap Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Creating Gaps That Look Natural . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Using Light to Aid the Gaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Using Walls to Aid the Gaps 59 The S Curve 60 6: THE HAND/ARM CONTEXT SYSTEM (HCS) 63 Why Are Arms and Hands Such a Problem? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 The Hand/Arm Context System (HCS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Breaking Down the HCS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 The Three HCS Key Execution Concepts 65 The Five Options in the HCS 66 Something to Think About . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 C ONTE NTS vii

9 7: STYLIZING HANDS AND FINGERS: ADVANCED TECHNIQUES 93 Posing Male vs. Female Hands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Female Hand Suggestions 95 Male Hand Suggestions 100 Posing Couples Hands and Fingers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103 Fingers Piled on Top of Each Other 103 Holding Hands 104 Using the Hands to Block a Double Chin 107 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 8: ORIGIN OF HANDS AND FINGERS 113 When the Origin of the Hands Is Visible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Hands Placed Across Another Person on the Side Away from the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 9: AVOID MIRRORING 123 One Hand Higher than the Other with Individuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 One Hand Higher than the Other with Couples (Mirroring) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126 Elbows Near the Shoulder 127 Elbows Near the Stomach 128 Hugging 130 Why You Should Avoid Mirroring in Group Portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 10: INTERACTION AND PLACEMENT OF SUBJECTS 137 A First Look at the Impact of Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 Reacting to Variations on Placement and Interaction 139 When Both Subject Placement and Interaction Fail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Storytelling through Subject Placement and Interaction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149 11: POINT-OF-CONTACT CHECK 153 Understanding the Point of Contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 Understanding Correct Subject Emphasis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157 Elbows Emphasis 157 Shoulders Emphasis 158 Legs Emphasis 160 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 viii P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

10 12: BALANCING THE SUBJECT RATIO 165 Finding the Midpoint and Overlap Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 Making Adjustments to the Pose Based on the Midpoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174 13: THE NOSE X-FACTOR 177 Noses Pointed Toward Each Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 178 Nose X-Factor Variations 180 Noses Parallel to Each Other. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183 Creating Spontaneous Group Portraits by Implementing the Nose X-Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 How to Spot an X-Factor Oversight 188 A Word about Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190 14: SUBJECT EMPHASIS 193 The Subject Should Be at Least as Bright as the Brightest Point in the Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 Matching the Brightness Levels to Keep Emphasis on the Pose 196 The Direction of Light Should Influence Part of the Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 Use Framing, Leading Lines, Isolation, Contrasts, Repetition or Size to Make the Subject the Most Prominent Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .204 Simple Emphasis 205 Compound Emphasis 206 Other Variations for Isolating the Main Subject 207 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210 15: POSING WITH MOVEMENT, FEELING, AND EXPRESSION 213 Posed Photojournalism. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214 Example 1: Posing a Model with Movement 215 Example 2: Posing a Bride with Movement 217 When Posed Photojournalism Fails 219 Why Posing the Eyes Is So Important . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .220 The Three Parts of the Eye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .222 The Eyelid 222 The Sclera 223 The Iris 223 Techniques for Posing the Eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .224 Give the Brain a Task 224 Give the Brain Something to Count 226 Have Your Subjects Close Their Eyes 228 C ONTE NTS ix

11 Bringing Feeling, Movement, and Expression All Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .230 One Last Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234 On Your Own . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .234 Analysis 236 PART 2 POSING COUPLES WITH THE PICTURE PERFECT POSING SYSTEM 237 16: POSING COUPLES WITH THE PICTURE PERFECT POSING SYSTEM 239 Reviewing the Poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 Traditional . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .240 Him Behind Her . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .243 Her Behind Him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .246 Walking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .250 Kissing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 253 Playful, Action, Movement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .256 Holding Hands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 261 Sitting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .264 Together Side by Side . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .268 Interpretive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272 Distance Apart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276 Hugging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 Foreground/Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 Facing Each Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287 Kiss Anticipation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .290 Featuring Him . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 292 Featuring Her . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294 T-Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297 One Last Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .300 CONCLUSION 301 INDEX 304 x P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

12 FOREWORD BY DAVID EDMONSON I absolutely love Roberto Valenzuela like an adopted son, and I am so proud of him! He has challenged me and my way of thinking about photography. He has loved me and my family in times of need. Getting to know Roberto on a personal level has shown me that practice has been his life story. I wasnt sure myself of what I valued more as an artist practice or talent. Growing up, my talent alone had taken me to great heights and provided well for my family. It wasnt until I had a stroke and had to relearn some of my skills that I realized the two most important things to me now are passion and practice. If you want to be truly great at something you have to practice your craft. Life is full of many failures, mistakes, and plateaus that you have grown through in order to reach great heights. It takes discipline, a compass for knowing where you want to go, and wisdom to know what to do once you get there. We all know photographers who break out their camera only for paying gigs, and they will go only as far as their talent takes them. When you look at great artists, athletes, and musicians who have achieved a high level of success, one thing is a common thread: They have spent and continue to spend countless hours perfecting their craft. They learn and have applied the discipline of practice. Just think of Vincent van Gogh, one of the most influential artists of the nineteenth century. He spent a year drawing and redrawing The Sower just to get the feeling that was in his head expressed correctly to match his vision. As soon as he finished, he then decided to take something as simple as a sunflower to study how to best visually communicate it in its simplicity. In his future paintings, he would incorporate whole parts and portions of the lessons he had learned. Near the end of his life, his passion and discipline led him to produce 60 paintings in 60 days. A painting a day! By comparison, Paul Gauguin would take up to five years to finish his works, and he happened to be van Goghs mentor! Roberto lives a disciplined and passionate life that extends far beyond his love for pho- tography. He learned how to play classical guitar well enough to not only teach but also perform concerts. He pursued his wife with persistence, asking her out over 500 times before she ever agreed to their first date! He saw a need among photographers looking for the quick fix and sat down and wrote his first book, Picture Perfect Practice. Can you start to see the pattern here? xii P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

13 Photography was originally known as a scientific art that didnt have the flexibility of other media, where one can, for example, rework paint and clay to refine subtle details like posing until the artist is completely content. Once it filled that void, it allowed paint- ers and sculptors to evolve beyond the formal styles of the day, leading to more freedom and expression first seen in impressionism. Suddenly, you had to pose your subject as a photographer with all the refinement done in camera. With this book, Roberto has taken his systematic approach to studying the various aesthetic ways you can refine your posing, applying it to body parts such as heads and hands in order to visually problem solve any shooting situation. Its not posing thats badits bad posing thats bad. Heres where your practice and the lessons in this book will pay huge dividends. When someone is in front of your lens, you have all of their personal and external issues going on inside of them. Knowing what to do in any given posing scenario will give you the confidence to quickly rework a scene through posing and use the power of your voice to connect, disarm, and direct your clients. If your insecurity comes out because you havent learned the art of posing, and you are relying only on your talent as I did, you will not always serve your clients or yourself well. What I love about Robertos work is how he handles some of the toughest challenges in posing while leaving room for serendipity. In the end, whatever the pose is, it only serves to reinforce and not distract from the emotion and believability of the impact of your image. I encourage you to devour this book and apply what you learn by putting it into practice. Thats the only way you will grow beyond your talent and elevate your work to a new and higher level. Credit goes to my friends Roberto Valenzuela and Jerry Ghionis, who reminded me that if you want to be a better photographer, it starts with being a better person. Passion and discipline are the fruits of a person moving in the right direction! FORE WORD xiii

14 PICTURE PERFECT POSING SYSTEM (P3S) DECISION POINTS WEIGHT SPINE 90-DEGREE ANGLES DISTRIBUTION THREE-POINT GAPS ARMS/HANDS HCS CHECK STYLING ORIGIN OF MIRRORING HANDS & FINGERS HANDS & FINGERS INTERACTION & POINT OF CONTACT BALANCING PLACEMENT OF SUBJECTS CHECK THE SUBJECT RATIO POSING WITH MOVEMENT, NOSE X-FACTOR SUBJECT EMPHASIS FEELING, & EXPRESSION

15 READ THIS FIRST THE PICTURE PERFECT POSING SYSTEM (P3S) POSING IS ENERGY. Theres more to a pose than how it looks. Posing is a form of body language, and therefore, it emits a certain energy to the viewer. Just as words can be inviting or defensive, so can the energy pro- duced by any pose. I designed the P3S method to clear out the guessing and the madness that has dominated many photographers approaches to posing. Photographers, including myself, have posed our subjects by shouting out numerous direc- tions to them, without really knowing the why behind our posing commands. We have tried to remedy the situation by browsing through fashion maga- zine ads and dispatching as many poses into our brain as possible, in the hope that we can recall them perfectly during a photo session. We also often expect the people we are photographing to move and pose as experienced models. Its like shooting darts in the dark, hoping that one in a hundred will score a success. This is no way to manage a career or a business. Even if you are a hobbyist, you will find it very frustrating that you must rely on luck to achieve a good pose. This book proposes a different approach, an approach with which you can make conscious decisions and be in com- plete control of every aspect of the posing process. Heres how the P3S method works. xv

16 Each square in the illustration on page xiv represents a decision point you must make when posing people. The chart includes a total of 15 points, representing each of the chapters in this book. Three of the squares are pink, because they denote decision points that only relate to posing couples or groups. In other words, when posing individuals, you have only 12 points to consider. When posing couples or groups, you have to consider all 15 points. Implementing the P3S method, you start your decision-making process with the spine, mainly ensuring that the spine is not hunched. The spine is the foundation of all poses, so making sure that your subjects have great posture is paramount. At the end of the decision process is posing with movement, feeling, and expression. I recommend saving this decision for lasthence their positions on the P3S diagram. Other than the first and last posing points, the 13 points in the middle can be decided in any order you wish. In the illustration, the decision squares are placed in the order that the chapters appear in the book, but you can shift them around as you see fit while posing individuals or groups. As you read and understand the photo- graphic issues, oversights, and styling options in each of the chapters, you will learn the look and energy of the poses, and you will become well equipped to go through each of these points and make decisions based on your own vision for a particular photograph. Depending on the style of shoot, you will make different decisions at each point. For example, if you were shooting a boudoir session, you might make a choice at each of the decision points that would result in a glamorous, elegant, and perhaps a seductive, feminine look. However, if you were shooting a fashion spread, the P3S decisions would change to pro- vide you with higher energy angles and a more overall dynamic look. During a wedding, you could make decisions that yield a romantic pose that also says something about the couple. Each of these points not only helps you with your styling choices but also serves as a guide for spotting potential issues that will definitely come up during the posing process and could potentially ruin your photo. For example, imagine that you are working with a couple, and as you pose them, you notice the mans fingers are awkwardly peeking out from behind the females waist. That topic is covered in Chapter 8, which is the eighth decision point in the illustration. Another example would be if you are on a shoot, and you see that your subjects hands and arms are creating a distraction rather than having a purpose. This is covered in Chapter 6, regarding the Hand/Arm Context System (HCS) decision point on the chart. To review, the P3S posing method serves two main purposes: 1. To create the style you envision through purposeful posing 2. To spot and fix posing oversights that are distracting and damaging to the pose Think of the P3S method as 15 individual parts where choices must be made and which make up a single pose. All decision points must be considered for every pose. This means that you make the call. It is up to you how and what you decide to do at every point, as long as you consider all of them. Although it may seem complicated to think of 12 or 15 points during the posing process, you will be surprised how easy they are to remember. Eventually, the decision points will present themselves to you over and over during every pose you create. You cant help but memorize them. My recommendation is to read and follow along with the book the way it was intended. Try to re-create the posing lessons as you read them. Go back through your old work and analyze the photos using the P3S system. Combining different learning methods xvi P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

17 in addition to just reading through the chapter will be the key to how much you get out of this book. I am well aware that if people see a high school senior photo or a wedding photo in a book, they automatically jump to conclusions that this book is not for them, since they dont photograph seniors or weddings. Rest assured that this book is about posing human beings, regardless of the event or the style of their clothes. Although I am primarily a wed- ding photographer, I have spent years photographing for magazines, fashion editorials, commercial photography, high school seniors, and celebrities. My training is very diverse, but I do have an unexplainable passion for wedding photography, due to the unique location, posing, and psychological challenges that weddings present. Therefore, I pur- posely limited the number of wedding photos used as examples in this book and replaced them with photographs from a variety of genres. However, for Part 2 of the book (Posing Couples with the Picture Perfect Posing System), I did include, for the most part, photos of couples during their weddings or engagement sessions. As I said, couples are couples, regardless of what they are wearing, so focus on the posing lessons being taught. WHY ARE SOME PHOTOS USED REPETITIVELY? Throughout the book, you will notice some photos are shown over and over. The reason is simple: If I felt that a particular photo would help clarify a point, I used it. This book is divided into 15 sections that discuss various aspects of posing. Some of the photo examples contain teaching material from several points of view that correspond to more than one chapter. For example, in one chapter, I might be referring to a photo that focuses on the subjects expression, but in a different chapter, I could use that same photo to explain how the subjects arms are posed. I spent countless hours looking for the right photos to use for each point I was making. WHY THE AMATEUR PHOTOS? The purpose of this book is to give you the very best written educational experience on the topic of posingnot to use up valuable pages trying to impress you with my beauti- ful photos. To demonstrate many of the points in the P3S, I used several photos from the first couple of years of my career that do not represent my proudest moments as a pho- tographer. But depending on the lesson, I also show more recent work that I love. Both types of photos are featured throughout the book. But, for the sake of education, I put my ego aside to help you and to make the material in this book more memorable. After all, if I only showed you my very best work, how are you supposed to learn what not to do? People learn so much more from studying their mistakes than their successes. Therefore, if it helps you, I want you to see my mistakes, learn from them, and grow as a photographer. If you are interested in seeing more of my recent work, flip to Chapter 15, where the majority of the photos are all recent work, or visit my website at www.robertovalenzuela.com. THE PI CTURE PE RFE CT P OSI NG SYSTE M (P3 S) xvii

18 A NOTE TO MODELS, BRIDES, AND ANYONE ELSE INTERESTED IN POSING I wrote this book not only for photographers but also for models, brides, and anyone else who wishes to know how to pose themselves and others in a flattering manner. Understanding the principles of photography and their outcomes is both fascinating and not that difficult. For the sake of language clarity, I address photographers directly, but I wrote this book with all of you in mind. If you do not wish to read the entire book, I recommend skimming through the chapters and focusing on the Flash Cards that appear throughout the chapters. These Flash Cards give you a quick way to learn the essential principles and techniques from each chapter. FOR BRIDES If you are a bride-to-be, this book will give you a head start for knowing how to pose yourself well and what to avoid doing. Naturally, you have probably hired a photographer and expect that person to be responsible for posing you well. But, trust me, judging from experience, you do not want to rely completely on your photographer. During weddings, photographers have to wear different hats and manage multiple challenges simultaneously; therefore, the posing aspect of a photographers job could suffer. This is the reason it would be worthwhile to know the principles of how to pose yourself for the most flattering results. Even for what would seem a rudimentary task, such as putting on your wedding dress or walking, you should be aware of good posture, hand/arm placement, and the overall dynamics that yield the most beautiful photograph. A couple of years ago, I was asked by a prominent dress designer to teach a few classes on posing for future brides. The classes were packed, which indicated to me that there is a great need and desire for brides to learn the principles of posing so that they look their best and do not always have to depend on the photographer. FOR MODELS If you are a model, the concepts taught in this book will make you aware of the importance of how you move, what angles you choose, how to create a strong versus a passive pose, and much more. Not only will you be able to move with a purpose, you will also know the reasoning behind the way you pose for the camera. A knowledgeable model is aware of his or her movements and, thus, the energy he or she emits through posing. Learning and applying the skills taught in this book will result in an overall more positive shooting experience for the client, the photographer, and yourself, not to mention giving you an edge over your competition. It is my hope that after reading this book, you will pose with the great confidence that can come only from knowledge, not guesswork. xviii P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

19 INTRODUCTION HANDS DOWN, posing people is one of the most daunting skills that photographers struggle with. At every convention or workshop around the world where I have taught, I always ask my students to share what the most difficult aspect of photography is for them. Nearly 80 percent of the time, the answer is posing! All aspects of posing have been pinpointed as the source of their headaches and/or panic attackshow to pose women, men, groups, couples, and so forth. During my early career, I experienced similar difficulties with posing. After years of frustration and despite my best efforts, I was accomplishing merely a few good poses in an entire photo shoot. I decided to change my approach. A paradigm shift in the study of posing was necessary and long overdue. Why is it that both novice and veteran photographers become stumped by posing? I believe the reason is the method we use to study this topic. We have relied mainly on two types of techniques to tackle this posing issue. The first is that we turn to our comfort zone poses. These are poses we always rely on when our brain betrays us, and we dont want to enter panic mode. Most photographers have five or so of these types of poses, and regardless of whom we are photographing, we just force our clients to fit into those five poses, so we dont lose face. xix

20 The second technique is simply to force ourselves to memorize poses. I would like to share with you an analogy from my classical guitar days. If a guitar instructor is trying to teach students how to play chords on a guitar, the instructor could download a chart of popular guitar chords that work well in most situations and ask the students to simply memorize the chart and practice their finger placement on the strings. Or, the instructor could teach the students the theory and structure behind chords, so that the students can build any chord their heart desires. Now, the students can jam right alongside any popular song by building the correct chords, instead of being limited to only the three or four chords they memorized. We must stop relying on memorization of poses. Instead, I suggest we begin to understand the structure of how a successful pose is built from scratch! The purpose of this book is, therefore, to teach you how to correctly create a pose, instead of memorizing poses. I strongly believe you will feel a great relief when you no longer have to use a memory flash card system. Instead, we will build poses using the 15-point system called the Picture Perfect Posing System (P3S) that I have created to simplify the posing process. WHAT THIS 15-POINT PICTURE PERFECT POSING SYSTEM (P3S) IS AND IS NOT I would like to quickly highlight just a couple of points about this book and the P3S. WHAT IT IS Like all art, photography is subjective. It is part science and part art. Every photographer is entitled to his or her opinion. The challenge when writing a book on posing is that the topic of posing is one of the most subjective aspects of photography. The human body can be shaped, bent, and contoured in countless ways that can yield some pretty interest- ing visual results. Fine-art photographers such as Sylvie Blum have focused much of their work on contouring the human body in ways I never thought possible. Yet the end result is pretty amazing to see. So, if posing is so subjective, how is it possible to be able to wrap it up in a neat little package that I call a system? The reason is that there are some universal techniques that make the human body look more relaxed and pleasant. This book is not for the photographer trying to bend the human body in bizarre ways for the sake of art. This book is for the photographer posing normal peoplemen, women, family members, children, couples, high school seniors, and so on. The 15-point P3S method came about after years of research, keen observation, and much frustration along the way. I wanted to know how it was possible to create poses that look effortless, pleasing to the eye, and comfortable for the client, whether that client is sitting, standing, or lying down. I wanted to know what to do with a persons arms to focus atten- tion on his or her face and not the arms, and what to do with a persons legs so that the body looks more relaxed. These are just a couple of examples of what I was seeking. After much observation and trial and error, I slowly began to see patterns that seemed to work. xx P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

21 I began to study these patterns and to apply them to my clients. The results were pretty amazing! I was building a pose from scratch instead of just memorizing poses and copying them piecemeal. One pattern after another began to emerge, and little by little the P3S approach was organically created. I use this system as a guide to remember when I pose my clients. The system has also helped me understand why a pose does not work or why it looks awkward. Most importantly, it has helped me understand how to keep visual emphasis on my subjects face, regardless of the pose. This is important because one of the main challenges we have as people photographers is to avoid letting the arms, waist, legs, knees, or shoulders take attention away from the subjects face. Even though these parts of the body can potentially draw attention away from the face, they can also be used to frame the face or create an inviting portrait instead of a defensive one. Careful positioning of the arms can also be a great help in slimming a subjects body. WHAT IT IS NOT By no means do I claim that that the P3S method is the be-all and end-all of posing tech- niques. It is very important to set expectations from the beginning. There is no right or wrong way in photography or posing. Both you and your clients have to like the photographs, and if you have achieved that much, then you have met your primary goal. This system is not meant to be a set of must-follow rules or the commandments of posing. Each point of the P3S approach can be broken, and you can still achieve a great image. One thing is for certain: This posing system has helped me tremendously throughout my career. Because I constantly practice the P3S method, I know all 15 points by heart; therefore, I know when it is best to break them, and how to get the most out of each point based on my vision. It all comes from situational experience and trial and error. For example, in certain high-fashion or fine-art photography, the poses can be avant garde; therefore, there are no rules or logic to any of it. But for the most part, in portrait and wedding photography, knowing the 15 points of the P3S method will definitely serve you well. My goal for this book is to help dispel your fear of posing in a way that is practical and easy to implement, without hampering your creativity or personal style. I believe that a persons fear of posing is rooted in self-doubt. You doubt your posing skills, you doubt yourself, and you compare yourself to other photographers. Lets remove these doubts once and for all! Read on I NTROD U CTION xxi

22 4 THREE-POINT CHECK COMBINATIONS PHOTOGRAPHS CANNOT TALK, but they can still communicate. You experience various emotions depending on the energy the photograph casts on you. Some people can explain that energy, and others cannot. It is undeniable, however, that theres something we all feel when looking at a photograph of a person. Why does that happen? The reason we feel a connection or a lack of one when looking at a photo of a person is because each of us has amassed an enormous database of human interactions since we were born. We have all observed the body language of people when they speak to us. We also have experienced that subtle gaze when someone is attracted to us, or the body language of some- one interviewing us for a job. We learn to associate different feelings with different body languages. As we grow up, we learn to differentiate a strong and confident body language from a flirtatious one. Photographers can create very distinct energies and looks in a photo by focusing specifically on the head and torso. They only need to use three parts of the body: the collarbone, the chin, and the eyes. To simplify the charts I have put together on the following pages, we will consider only two options for posing these three parts of the body: facing you, or not facing you. By combining these three with the two posing options, 43

23 you will be able to create any feeling you desire. Later in this chapter, we will also introduce the option of moving your subjects chin up or down, and tilting the head toward the higher or lower shoulder. As photographers, we must be conscious of the body language of our subjects. Yes, we could take hundreds of photos of our subject, until we find a particular result we like. But why not be conscious of what type of responses we want from our viewers and simply execute? In this chapter, we will explore every combination we can create using only the collarbone, the chin, and the eyes, along with whether they face the viewer. 3-POINT COMBINATION CHARTS The charts that follow might appear a bit complicated, but they arent. They simply rep- resent the various posing combinations that you should be aware of. Dont force yourself to memorize these charts. It is far more effective to identify the combinations using your own work and become aware of the energy you feel with certain combinations. The pro- cess is similar to learning a language. You can force yourself to learn French at home on your own, or you can move to France and immerse yourself in the language. Which approach do you think would be more effec- tive at helping you become fluent in French? The goal is to be able to think in the language you are speaking so that the sentences flow smoothly and the language becomes second nature to you. The same principle applies to these charts. FLASH CARD Visual emphasis is always given to the point facing the camera. For example, if the collarbone and chin are not facing the camera but the eyes are, then greater emphasis is given to the eyes and less emphasis to the body and chin. This is a great combination for beauty or boudoir. Depending on your angle, if you tilt your subjects chin to any direction you will expose the jawline. This should automatically cause you to adjust your lighting to chisel the jawline as much as possible. Do so by using light- ing to create as much separation as possible of the jawline and the neck. To help you visualize, look at Figure 4.1. There should be a distinct shadow line where the jawline meets the neck. This photo of me was taken by my great friend Jerry Ghionis at his house in Beverly Hills. 4.1 Notice that by turning my chin to my left and turning my eyes toward the camera, greater emphasis was placed on my eyes, but it left my jawline exposed. Jerry then made adjustments to my posi- tion relative to the light to create that perfect shadow where the jawline meets the neck. The final result is a portrait where the eyes of the subject are emphasized and the jawline looks chiseled. 44 P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

24 Another point to keep in mind is your subjects bone structure and whether he or she has a double chin. This is important because different combinations with the right lighting can drastically change, for the better, a persons appearance. Always notice the direction of light for all of these portrait combinations. With experience, you will develop a repertoire of combinations you will be proud of. WORKING WITH THE 3-POINT CHARTS This section shows how I use the charts. By attaching a certain feeling or energy to a specific combination, I begin to naturally memorize the FLASH CARD results of each chart. First and foremost, I associate the collarbone, chin, or eyes facing the camera with forming a strong connection with the Tilting the head: viewer. Those points not facing the camera form a weaker connection r If the subject tilts the head toward with the viewer. his/her higher shoulder, it will I also think of posing the head perfectly straight as a tool to toughen appear more feminine. character and a tilt of the head as a tool to soften it. So, if the body is r If the subject tilts the head toward facing you and the chin and eyes arent, I consider that body as having a the lower shoulder, it will appear strong connection but the eyes and face a weak one. You probably will more masculine. not find promotional photos of professional boxers tilting their heads. That subtle tilt will make them appear less tough. The strongest and most personal combination is when all three points are facing you and the head is perfectly straight. These are quick refer- ence words to help me memorize what would happen if, for instance, I tilt the head or if I turn the collarbone away from the camera. Assume for a second you would like to create a strong pose for your subject but you want to soften it a little or make it less aggressive. In that case, you would turn the collarbone, chin, and eyes toward the camera but ask the model to tilt her head to either side. Lets go through some examples of how the charts work and how to best use them to maximize our understanding of posing. Figure 4.2: r Collarbone facing the camera (strong), chin facing the camera (strong), and eyes facing the camera (strong). r Head is straight (tougher). r Energy: All three points are facing the camera in this portrait. Because of this, the subject appears strong and very much in your face. She is connecting with you in a very direct way. Her body, her face, and her eyes are all on you, the viewer. It is fair to say that a pose like this would be normal if you were having a conversation with her. Therefore, positioning all three points toward the camera makes the feel of this portrait very personal. Children often pose themselves in a very symmetrical way, giving this pose a possibly innocent energy. Because of the high connection level, this could be 4.2 a good choice for a senior portrait or for a fashion portrait. 4 THRE E - P OI NT CH ECK COMBI NATIONS 45

25 4.3 4.4 Figure 4.3: r Collarbone facing away from the camera (weak), chin facing away from the camera (weak), and eyes facing the camera (strong). r Head is straight (tougher). r Energy: Both her body and her chin/face are turned away from the camera, and only her eyes are connecting with you. Because there is nothing else competing for attention, her eyes dominate with a seductive undertone. Her chin is facing the same direction as her collarbone, indicating that she could have been having a conversation with someone else and she quickly turned to look at you. This pose is a good choice for boudoir pho- tography or when the subject wants to appear sexy and seductive, yet elegant and classy. Figure 4.4: r Collarbone facing the camera (strong), chin facing away from the camera (weak), and eyes facing away from the camera (weak). r Head is straight (tougher). r Energy: With only her collarbone facing you, the attention is directed to what she is wearing. There is not a great deal of personal connection here. But, compared to other combinations, this one is much more dynamic and high energy because this combina- tion poses the collarbone and chin in opposing directions. If the collarbone and chin had been facing the same direction, the energy would be much calmer and harmoni- ous, because she could easily have turned her eyes toward you and acknowledged your presence. But she didnt, so she appears illusive or aloof. Therefore, this combination is great for a fashion shoot, where the connection with the clothes is more important than with the person wearing them. 46 P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

26 4.5 4.6 Figure 4.5: r Collarbone facing away from the camera (weak), chin facing away from the camera (weak), and eyes facing away from the camera (weak). r Head is straight (tougher). r Energy: All three of the key points are turned away from you. This pose does not feel personal at all, and there is no connection with the viewer. It does, however, provide you with a quick glance of who she is and what she looks like, but her personality is subject to interpretation. The lack of connection with the viewer makes this combination a great choice to depict a powerful person or a leader. When the collarbone is facing one way and the chin the other way, it creates a highly dynamic pose. The pose feels energetic instead of passive. It resembles movement instead of rest. This combination also elongates the neck, making the person tall and elegant. Because of the impersonal nature of this combination, many ancient Roman sculptors used this combination to sculpt the busts of their leaders. Figure 4.6: r Collarbone facing the camera (strong), chin facing the camera (strong), and eyes facing the camera (strong). r Head is tilted toward lower shoulder (softer, but with a more masculine feel). r Energy: This is an example where all three points have a strong connection with the viewer, but the simple act of tilting the head automatically softens the image. However, this tilt is toward the lower shoulder, giving the photo a more masculine and confron- tational energy. Compare Figure 4.6 with the following photograph, where the tilt is toward the higher shoulder. 4 THRE E - P OI NT CH ECK COMBI NATIONS 47

27 Figure 4.7: r Collarbone facing the camera (strong), chin facing the camera (strong), and eyes facing the camera (strong). r Head is tilted toward higher shoulder (softer and with a more feminine tender feel). r Energy: Not only is the energy in this photo strong, but you also connect with her feminine side. The only change from Figure 4.6 was tilting the head toward the higher shoulder. This is why I believe it is so important that photographers be aware of what the results will be calling out posing directions to clients. You should know the answers to such questions as how the energy of the pose changes by tilting the head, turning the body to the side, and so forth. I know this is hard work, but it is worth every ounce of energy when you have a client in front of you and you are a master at what you do. That feel- ing is amazing! 4.7 COLLARBONE, CHIN, AND EYE COMBINATIONS The chart combinations on the following page provides you with every possible combina- tion of the three points: the collarbone, the chin, and the eyes. They are meant to be used as a reference guide/study guide. They do not include head tilts or raising the chin up or down; those optional tools can be used with the charts. If, for example, light were coming from above, you would raise your subjects chin toward the light source. This would illuminate the face evenly, getting rid of unflattering shadows. Keep in mind that opposing directions create energy, whereas same directions create har- mony. For example, if the collarbone is facing camera left, the chin is facing to the right, and the eyes are looking back to the left, this would be a high-energy combination. If all three points were facing the same direction, however, it would create a greater sense of harmony and calmness. 48 P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

28 FACING YOU AWAY FACING YOU AWAY Collarbone X Collarbone X Chin X Chin X Eyes X Eyes X FACING YOU AWAY FACING YOU AWAY Collarbone X Collarbone X Chin X Chin X Eyes X Eyes X FACING YOU AWAY FACING YOU AWAY Collarbone X Collarbone X Chin X Chin X Eyes X Eyes X FACING YOU AWAY FACING YOU AWAY Collarbone X Collarbone X Chin X Chin X Eyes X Eyes X FACING YOU AWAY FACING YOU AWAY Collarbone X Collarbone X Chin X Chin X Eyes X Eyes X FACING YOU AWAY Collarbone X Chin X Eyes X Become familiar with how the combinations affect the energy of the poses. Do it naturally and slowly so that you can remember each one. Once you have a good grasp of a few com- binations, start adding chin direction, up or down, and tilting the head toward one of the shoulders. After becoming familiar with a few combinations, ask yourself what kind of energy you want, and what part of your subject you would like to feature. Then come up with a combination to give you exactly that. Remember to enjoy the process, and do not force yourself to memorize the charts in one sitting. 4 THRE E - P OI NT CH ECK COMBI NATIONS 49

29 APPLYING THE 3-POINT COMBINATIONS This chapters previous photos were chosen to demonstrate various concepts. The following pho- tos come from actual photo shoots where I applied these techniques based on the energy I wanted to portray in my photographs. I hope that after reading this book you will pose with intent, instead of just guessing and throwing posing directions around in hope that one looks good. I do not want to sound harsh, but if you intend to use photography as a way of making a living, then you must photograph skill- fully for the survival of your photography business. After considering Lauras clothing and hairstyle (Figure 4.8), I thought an aggressive and powerful pose would do the most justice to the overall styling. So I used the same technique as Figure 4.5, where none of the three points face the camera, and the collarbone and chin point in opposite directions. Although I label the points not facing the camera as weak, Im referring to a weak personal connection 4.8 with the viewer, not weak as in fragile. This distinc- tion is important. The fact that none of the three points face you makes this photo impersonal, so you con- nect with her more as a statute than as a friend. I placed her hair over her eyes to add to the mysterious nature of this pose. With her eyes hidden from the viewer, the photo leaves more of her personality to your imagination. The beautiful bride in Figure 4.9 had one of the most unique wedding dresses Id ever seen. There was no question in my mind that I needed a three-point combination to showcase the dress without it competing with her face. The answer was for her collarbone to be facing the camera and her chin and eyes facing away. This combination impels you to admire her dress without her eyes demanding that you look back at her. You can clearly see how turning her face away from the camera softens the connection with her eyes. I added a subtle head-tilt toward the higher shoulder to make the pose appear more femi- nine and elegant. For the photo in Figure 4.10, I wanted the opposite effect of Figure 4.9. In this case, I still wanted to feature the dress, but I also wanted to keep a strong personal connection with the bride. The best three-point combination was easy to choose: All three points should face the camera. 50 P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

30 4.10 4.11 4.9 This three-point combination in Figure 4.11 with the collarbone and the chin facing the camera and the eyes turned away is rarely used, but it can be very effective. Its one of my favorite combina- tions when doing a boudoir photo shoot. The energy here is sensual yet personal. Her eyes are not connecting with you, but she can feel your presence and accepts it because her body and chin are directed toward you. To me, this is the perfect three-point combina- tion to create a balanced mix of aloofness and warmth. I know that sounds like a contradiction, but that is the best way to describe the energy in this photo. 4 THRE E - P OI NT CH ECK COMBI NATIONS 51

31 ON YOUR OWN Examine the following photos (Figures 4.124.15) with a group or another person and go over the combinations used and the energy they project. Be specific, as I was in the previous examples. Discuss, compare notes, and learn from each other. 4.12 4.13 52 P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

32 4.14 4 THRE E - P OI NT CH ECK COMBI NATIONS 53

33 4.15 ANALYSIS 54 P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

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35 INDEX 3-point combinations, 4354 problems with positioning, 64 applied to photos, 5051 resting or resting on position for, 6669 charts illustrating, 49 See also hands examples of working with, 4548 assertive pose, 2122 Flash Cards on using, 44, 45 attention, focusing, 13 pose analysis exercises on, 5254 90-degree angles, 29 arms bent at, 3235 B couple poses and, 3334 back foot Flash Cards about, 36, 38 overlapping front foot over, 251 importance of, 29 shifting body weight to, 1819, 21, 23 pose analysis exercises on, 3942 background strength conveyed through, 3435, 36 posing couples in foreground and, 283286 wrists/fingers bent at, 3638 subject placement in, 140, 148 Bakich, Sydney, 70, 207, 231 balance A arms creating sense of, 66 action-based couple photos, 258259 subject ratio, 165176 acute vs. obtuse angles, 36 beauty photography, 44 American Gothic painting (Wood), 268 Bespoke, Armine, 205 analyzing poses. See pose analysis Blum, Sylvie, xx angles body language, 43, 85 90-degree, 29, 3238 body weight acute vs. obtuse, 36 seated subjects and, 24 shooting, 154, 155 techniques for shifting, 1823 arms See also weight distribution balance created with, 66 boudoir photography, 44, 46 bent at 90-degree angles, 3235 brain connections made with, 85 skill reinforcement and, 301 couple poses and angle of, 3334 subject tasks involving, 224227 finessed pose using, 36 breathing, 6 Flash Card on posing, 36 brides framing subjects using, 6566, 67, 7074 authors note to, xviii HCS system for posing, 6392 posing with movement, 217218 holding objects using, 7480 brightness mirroring of hands and, 123136 matching to emphasize poses, 196198 positioning only one, 65 subject emphasis related to, 194198, 209 304 P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

36 C featuring him, 292293 foreground/background, 283286 camera smile, 213 hands and fingers in, 103108 candid portraits her behind him, 246249 Nose X-Factor for creating, 180, 182 him behind her, 243245 resting or resting on position for, 6869 holding hands, 104107, 261263 cervical spine, 4, 5, 11 hugging, 130, 279282 charts interpretive, 272275 3-point combination, 4454 kiss anticipation, 290291 P3S decision points, xiv kissing, 253255 P3S posing for couples, 238 lying down, 300 children mirroring in, 126130 symmetrical posing by, 45 movement in, 258259 weight distribution for, 18 overview about, 239240 chins P3S chart for, 238 3-point combinations and, 4549 playful, 256259 adjusting lighting for, 44 seated, 264267 hiding with hands, 107108 side-by-side, 268271 cinematic look, 283, 285, 286 subject ratio in, 165176 clich reenactments, 260, 270, 284 T-pose, 297299 closing and reopening eyes, 228 traditional, 240242 collarbone walking, 250252 3-point combinations and, 4549 creepy hands issue, 113, 118 positioning in couple T-Pose, 297, 298 cropping Colon, Julie, 275, 280 creative use of, 85, 167 Colon, Mike, 20, 275, 280 related to subject ratio, 167 compositional elements crossed feet, 1820 compound emphasis using, 204, 206207, 209 distance apart couple poses and, 277278 simple emphasis using, 204, 205, 207 D compound emphasis, 204, 206207, 209 connecting through touch, 8588 defensive poses contrast blocked torso region, 32 distance apart poses and, 277 hand position, 66 subject emphasis using, 206 details, eye for, 1213 counting technique, 226227 direction of light, 199203 couple poses, 239300 disembodied hands/fingers. See origin of hands/ 90-degree angles in, 3334 fingers clich reenactments in, 260, 270, 284 distance apart couple poses, 276278 distance apart, 276278 P3S applied to, 277278 elbow positioning in, 127128 pose foundation for, 276 facing each other, 287289 tips related to, 278 featuring her, 294296 double chin, 107108 I NDE X 305

37 E feet crossed, 1820 Edmonson, David, xii direction of toes and, 21, 22, 23 elbows resting on props, 2122 hugging poses and, 156, 158, 279280 uncrossed, 2123 point of first contact and, 156, 157158 See also legs positioning for couples, 127128 female subjects emotions. See feelings/emotions couple posing featuring, 294296 emphasizing the subject. See subject emphasis hand posing suggestions for, 9599 energy of photos subject ratio related to, 166167 3-point combinations and, 4548 fingers emotions/feelings related to, 43 bent at 90-degree angles, 3638 expression, feeling, and movement, 230233 couple posing suggestions for, 103108 eyelids, 222, 223 Flash Card on posing, 38 eyes interlocking of, 104105 3-point combinations and, 4549 natural position of, 37 brain tasks for posing, 224227 origin of hands and, 113122 closing and reopening, 228229 photographic importance of, 93 emphasizing in photos, 44, 153 placing for couples, 103104 guideline for controlling, 221 pointing with hands and, 8184 importance of posing, 220221 pose analysis exercises on, 109112 point of first contact and, 153, 154 See also hands techniques for posing, 224229 finishing touches, 213236 three parts of, 222223 combining feeling, movement, and expression, 230233 photojournalistic posing, 213, 214220 F pose analysis exercises, 234236 faces posing the eyes, 220229 close interactions involving, 139, 146 first point of contact. See point of first contact framing with arms/hands, 6566, 67, 7074 fish lips, kissing with, 253 Nose X-Factor and, 177192 Flash Cards See also heads on 3-point combinations, 44, 45 facing-each-other poses, 287289 on angle of joints, 36 P3S applied to, 287289 on closing and reopening eyes, 228 pose foundation for, 287 on controlling the eyes, 221 tips related to, 289 on lifting the knee with a prop, 22 fake smiles, 214, 289 on maximum time for holding poses, 220 family portraits. See group portraits on Nose X-Factor concept, 184, 188 fashion photography, 45, 46 on origin of hand issues, 117 feelings/emotions on parts of the spine and poses, 11 associated with body language, 43, 85 on responses to posing instructions, 158 combining movement and expression with, on subject interaction/placement, 139, 141, 145 230233 on subject ratio, 172 matching in subject interactions, 141 on wrist and finger poses, 38 fluidity of poses, 3031 306 P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

38 focus holding option in, 7480, 261 foreground/background, 283 Key Execution Concepts of, 6566 selective, 205, 206, 207, 296 overview and purpose of, 6465, 88 focusing your attention, 13 pointing option in, 8184 foreground pose analysis exercises on, 8992 posing couples in background and, 283286 resting or resting on option in, 6669 subject placement in, 140, 148 hands foreground/background couple poses, 283286 attention directed through, 38 P3S applied to, 284286 bent at 90-degree angles, 3738 pose foundation for, 283 common issues with posing, 95 tips related to, 286 connecting through touch using, 8588 framing couple posing guidelines for, 103108 arms/hands used for, 6566, 7074 creating gaps using, 5657 holding objects combined with, 75, 76, 79 creepy hands issue, 113 pointing combined with, 81, 82, 84 female posing suggestions for, 9599 subject emphasis through, 206, 209 Flash Card on posing, 38 fun couple poses, 256259 framing subjects using, 7074 P3S applied to, 256259 gripping problem with, 104, 105, 106107 pose foundation for, 256 HCS system for posing, 6392 tips related to, 259 hiding a double chin with, 107108 holding in couple shots, 104107, 261263 importance of posing, 93 G inviting vs. defensive, 66 gaps, 5562 male posing suggestions for, 100101 creating natural looking, 5657 mirroring of arms and, 123136 Flash Card on creating, 59 natural curvature of, 37 lighting used to emphasize, 58 objects held in, 7480 pose analysis exercises on, 6162 origin of fingers and, 113122 reasons for creating, 55, 56, 59 pointing with fingers and, 8184 S curve for emphasizing, 60 pose analysis exercises on, 109112 silhouetted subjects and, 80 problems positioning, 64 walls for emphasizing, 59 putting into pockets, 100101 Gauguin, Paul, xii resting or resting on position for, 6669 Ghionis, Jerry, xiii, 44 single posing of one, 65 gripping hands, 104, 105, 106107 See also arms; fingers group portraits harsh light, 202203 avoiding mirroring in, 131133 HCS. See Hand/Arm Context System Nose X-Factor technique for, 186188 heads stances of people in, 23 3-point combinations and, 4549 close interactions involving, 139, 145, 146 effects of tilting, 45, 47, 48, 180 H See also faces her behind him pose, 246249 Hand/Arm Context System (HCS), 6392 P3S applied to, 246249 connecting option in, 8588 pose foundation for, 246 framing option in, 7074 tips related to, 249 I NDE X 307

39 hiding iris of eye, 222, 223 disembodied hands, 117 isolation, 205, 206, 207209 double chin with hands, 107108 high-energy moves, 7273, 74 high-risk areas, 215 J him behind her pose, 243245 jawline, 44 P3S applied to, 243245 joints pose foundation for, 243 90-degree angles of, 3238 tips related to, 245 bending to avoid stiffness, 3031 hips and lumbar spine, 7 experiment on stiffening, 30 holding hands, 104107, 261263 pose analysis exercises on, 3942 P3S applied to, 261262, 263 pose foundation for, 261 tips related to, 262 K holding objects, 7480 framing subjects by, 75, 76, 79 Kim, Kenny, 88 perceived effort of, 7476 kiss anticipation poses, 290291 hugging poses, 279282 P3S applied to, 290291 avoiding mirroring in, 127, 130 pose foundation for, 290 P3S method applied to, 279282 tips related to, 291 point of first contact in, 156, 158, 159 kissing couple poses, 253255 pose foundation for, 279 P3S applied to, 253254, 255 tips related to, 282 pose foundation for, 253 hunching/slouching, 45 tips related to, 254 knees lifting with props, 2122 I point of first contact and, 153, 154 image review, 23 infinite gaze, 224 L interaction/placement of subjects, 137152 failure of, 142147 leading lines, 206 Flash Cards about, 139, 141, 145 legs photographic impact of, 138141 point of first contact and, 160161 pose analysis exercises on, 149152 seated weight distribution and, 24 reacting to variations on, 139141 See also feet storytelling through, 148 lighting interlocking fingers, 104105 adjusting for chin/jawline, 44 interpretive couple poses, 272275 brightness level related to, 194198 P3S applied to, 272275 direction of light and, 199203 pose foundation for, 272 gaps emphasized through, 58 tips related to, 275 harsh sunlight used for, 202203 Inverse Square Law of Light, 200 Inverse Square Law of Light and, 200 inviting poses midday sun for portrait, 199 hand position, 66 posing clients using, 203 open torso region, 32 low-risk areas, 215 308 P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

40 lumbar spine, 711 Nose X-Factor, 177192 curvature of, 7, 8, 1011 candid portraits and, 180, 182 hips related to, 7 examples of implementing, 178179 lying down poses, 300 explanation of, 177, 178179 Flash Cards on using, 184, 188 group portraits and, 186188 M parallel noses and, 183185 male subjects photographic style and, 188 featured in couple poses, 292293 pose analysis exercises, 190192 hand posing suggestions for, 100101 spotting oversights related to, 188, 189 subject ratio related to, 166167 variations on using, 180182 midday sun, 199 midpoint adjusting poses based on, 169173 O shooting angle related to, 168 obtuse vs. acute angles, 36 subject ratio and, 168169 On Your Own exercises mirror reflections, 209 on 3-point combinations, 5254 mirroring, 123136 on angle of joints, 3942 couple poses and, 126130 on finishing touches, 234236 group portraits and, 131133 on gap creation, 6162 individual poses and, 124126 on hand/finger posing, 109112 pose analysis exercises on, 134136 on HCS method, 8992 models on mirroring, 134136 authors note to, xviii on Nose X-Factor, 190192 posing with movement, 215216 on origin of hands/fingers, 119122 movement on point of first contact, 162164 combining feeling and expression with, on spinal posing, 1416 230233 on subject emphasis, 210212 playful couple poses with, 258259 on subject interaction/placement, 149152 posing subjects with, 215218 on subject ratio, 174176 on weight distribution, 2528 See also pose analysis N open-ended interpretation, 272273 natural light. See sunlight origin of hands/fingers, 113122 ninety-degree angles, 29 Flash Card on working with, 117 arms bent at, 3235 pose analysis exercises on, 119122 couple poses and, 3334 solutions to showing, 116118 Flash Cards about, 36, 38 visibility of, 114115 importance of, 29 outdoor portraits, 199 pose analysis exercises on, 3942 out-of-focus subjects, 283 strength conveyed through, 3435, 36 overlap point wrists/fingers bent at, 3638 adjusting poses based on, 169173 subject ratio and, 168169 I NDE X 309

41 P shooting angle and, 154, 155 shoulders and, 158, 160 P3S method. See Picture Perfect Posing System pointing parallel noses, 183185 fingers/hands used for, 8184 parietal lobe, 226 framing combined with, 81, 82, 84 Penny, Jonathan, 272 portrait photography perceived effort, 73, 7475 candid shots in, 6869, 180, 182 personal space, 139, 145 main categories of, 213214 photographic style, 188 See also group portraits photographs pose analysis, 11 reviewing your own, 23 of 3-point combinations, 5254 used in this book, xvii of angle of joints, 3942 photojournalism of finishing touches, 234236 capturing moments in, 214 of gap creation, 6162 creating the feel of, 214, 215 of hands and fingers, 109112 posed, 214220 of HCS method, 8992 subject emphasis in, 204 of mirroring, 134136 Picture Perfect Posing System (P3S) of Nose X-Factor, 190192 basing couple poses on, 238, 239, 240 of origin of hands/fingers, 119122 decision points chart, xiv of point of first contact, 162164 how it works, xvxvi of spinal position, 1213, 1416 purposes served by, xvi of subject emphasis, 210212 what it is and is not, xxxxi of subject interaction/placement, 149152 Picture Perfect Practice (Valenzuela), 216, 224, 239 of subject ratio, 174176 placement/interaction of subjects, 137152 of weight distribution, 2223, 2528 failure of, 142147 See also On Your Own exercises Flash Cards about, 139, 141, 145 pose foundation photos, 240 photographic impact of, 138141 posed photojournalism, 214220 pose analysis exercises on, 149152 bride posed with movement in, 217218 reacting to variations on, 139141 model posed with movement in, 215216 storytelling through, 148 reasons for failure of, 219220 playful couple poses, 256259 posing P3S applied to, 256259 3-point combinations for, 4354 pose foundation for, 256 couples with P3S system, 239300 tips related to, 259 fluidity achieved through, 3031 pockets, hands in, 100101 focusing attention on, 13 point of first contact, 153164 learning the skill of, 301, 302 brief explanation of, 153 maximum effective time for, 220 elbows and, 156, 157158 movement used in, 215218 eyes emphasized as, 154, 155 noticing details about, 1213 hugging poses and, 156, 158, 159 purposeful application of, 5556, 302 illustrated examples of, 154156 reviewing your images for, 23 instructions to clients on, 158 spinal posture related to, 3 knees/legs and, 153, 154, 160161 subject emphasis related to, 193212 pose analysis exercises on, 162164 weight distribution and, 1728 seated subjects and, 264 310 P IC T U R E P E R F EC T P OSING

42 posing instructions shooting angle client responses to, 158 midpoint as guide to, 168 subject tasks as, 224227 point of first contact and, 154, 155 posing threshold, 3 shoulders posture dropping down and back, 6 proper, for photos, 6 point of first contact and, 158, 160 thoracic spine and, 5 side-by-side couple poses, 268271 pouting, 253 P3S applied to, 268271 previsualizing poses, 302 pose foundation for, 268 props, lifting the knee using, 2122 tips related to, 271 puddle reflections, 274, 275 silhouettes creating gaps for, 80 distance apart poses for, 278 Q simple emphasis, 204, 205, 207 Quigg, Dylan, 203, 232 size, subject emphasis and, 205 slouching/hunching, 45 soft light, 202 R spine, 316 cervical, 4, 5, 11 reflections Flash Card on posing, 11 mirror, 209 importance of, 3 water puddle, 274, 275 lumbar, 711 repeating elements, 209 parts overview, 411 resting or resting on the hands, 66 photo review exercises on, 1416 reviewing your own images, 23 pose analysis of, 1213, 1416 robertovalenzuela.com website, xvii stretching, 56 romance, creating a sense of, 180, 181 thoracic, 47 stiffness bending joints to avoid, 3031 S equal weight distribution and, 18 S curve, 60 storytelling sclera, 222, 223 open-ended interpretation as, 272273 seated couple poses, 264267 subject placement/interaction as, 148 P3S applied to, 265266 strength pose foundation for, 264 conveyed through 90-degree angles, 3435, 36 tips related to, 266267 posing mens hands for, 100 seated subjects stretching, spinal, 56 couple poses with, 264267 style, photographic, 188 weight distribution of, 24 subject emphasis, 193212 selective focus, 205, 206, 207, 296 brightness of subject and, 194198 senior portraits, 45 compositional techniques and, 204209 shifting the body weight, 1823 compound emphasis, 204, 206207, 209 crossing the feet and, 1820 direction of light and, 199203 not crossing the feet and, 2123 isolating main subjects for, 207209 pose analysis exercises, 210212 simple emphasis, 204, 205, 207 I NDE X 311

43 subject emphasis (continued) U three guidelines for, 193194 working with posing and, 193 uncrossed feet, 2123 subject ratio, 165176 adjusting poses for, 169173 Flash Card on using, 172 V midpoint and, 168173 van Gogh, Vincent, xii overlap point and, 168173 Victoria, Monique, 204, 215, 226 pose analysis exercises, 174176 visual contradictions, 70 related to men and women, 166167 visualizing poses, 302 sunlight direction of light from, 199, 200, 202203 W dramatic effect from harsh, 202203 walking couple poses, 250252 outdoor portraits in midday, 199 P3S applied to, 251 See also lighting pose foundation for, 250 tips related to, 252 walls, gaps emphasized using, 58 T water puddle reflections, 274, 275 tasks website of author, xvii brain-involving, 224227 Wedding and Portrait Photographers counting, 226227 International (WPPI), 100 thoracic spine, 47, 11 weight distribution, 1728 slouching related to, 45 crossed feet and, 1820 techniques for stretching, 56 Flash Card about, 22 three-point combinations, 4354 photo review exercises on, 2528 applied to photos, 5051 pose analysis of, 2223, 2528 charts illustrating, 49 props used for, 2122 examples of working with, 4548 reviewing your images for, 23 Flash Cards on using, 44, 45 seated subjects and, 24 pose analysis exercises on, 5254 shifting the body weight for, 1823 tilting the head, 45, 47, 48, 180 uncrossed feet and, 2123 toes women. See female subjects direction of, 21, 22, 23 Wood, Grant, 268 See also feet wrists touch, connecting through, 8588 bent at 90-degree angles, 3638 T-Pose for couples, 297299 Flash Card on posing, 38 P3S applied to, 298299 natural curvature of, 37 pose foundation for, 297 See also arms; hands tips related to, 299 traditional couple pose, 240242 P3S applied to, 241242 Y pose foundation for, 240241 Yanez, Tony, 67 tips related to, 242 312 P I C T U R E P E R F E C T P OSI NG

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